Reflective Journal Entry 1

Reflective Journal Entry 1

June 11, 2020

Description

The lesson which my supervisor was observing today was on relative adjectives and relative pronouns. Among my essential academic attainments, which I had in the lesson plan, was to ensure that learners actively participated and respond to questions from the teacher. I would, therefore, present a sentence with a gap to fill using a relative adjective or pronoun, and students would respond with the right answer. The aim was to ask as many questions as possible to help learners discover how to come up with the correct relative adjective or pronoun in a sentence.

In the process, I discovered that when I displayed a sentence with a gap to fill and ask students to raise their hands for an answer, only a few could raise their hands. However, I did not manage to give all learners who had raised their hands. As the lesson proceeded, I noticed that the number of raised hands increased. However, there are a few students who did not raise their hands throughout the class duration. They appeared disoriented and mentally absent from the class. Sometimes I would not ask learners to raise their hands on asking a question, but they answered unanimously. I realized that most even those who could not raise their hands before gave a correct answer with the other students.

Following my planned attainment to ensure that learners participate in my lesson, I also choose to ask questions directly from students who could not raise their hands. The students were ready to answer after a straightforward question with correct answers. However, some of those who did not raise their hands or answer questions unanimously with others had wrong answers. In some questions, I had to explain to them using the objects on my table, for example, a bag. The bag, pen, me, and other leaners became my teaching and learning aids to such students. I realized that the students got the answers correct after explanation of the sentences using the various objects. However, even in such an exercise, they did not turn to raise their hands once I instructed on lifting hands for whoever hand a correct answer.

Evaluation and Analysis

Today’s lesson was not my first English class with the students, and I thought that I had all it takes to make all of them participate in the class fairly. I felt the courage to prove to my supervisor that my teaching skills were appropriate to have alert and interactive students while getting all learners to take responsibility for their learning. The courage grew even more when students could quickly respond to my questions also before I was through with the sentences. My work was only to provide sentences as students could make several attempts of the answers with correct responses at the end. I was pleased to see that my students were eager to even answer by raising their hands even when they had wrong answers. A thought came into my mind that such students had initial knowledge that what they were giving was the correct answer. I became motivated to even ask direct questions to students who did not raise their hands. Fortunately, most of them hand the right answer. However, the few who gave wrong answers got me off guard and felt it a shame because I could not make them engaged or learn the concept. I felt a failure that my teaching and learning styles were not inclusive.

Initially, my teacher at college hand taught me to handle class and teaching scenarios as they come and adjust to meet learners’ needs. I chose to experiment on the mess that I had done through my inability to accommodate all learners in learning and only concentrating on the majority. The thoughts that came into my mind were that such students needed more explanations on the concept of identifying relative adjectives and pronouns. On demonstrating with objects like bags, the students were able to get the collect answer. However, my demotivation did not end since the students did not raise hands or unanimously respond to the question after the intervention. I felt low and weak to notice that in the end, it was not possible to get the whole class activities and learn. The bad thing about the experience was that some of my students were not learning because they could not participate or focus on my discussion. Although I could manage to get some of them join, it was not possible to maintain the alertness and focus. It means that I was only able to meet my objectives on some students. However, it was the best learning exp erience about my teaching, and learning approaches and the following areas need consideration and adjustments for better performance next time;

• Use of diverse teaching and learning approaches: One of my findings is that students vary in the types of teaching and learning approaches they prefer. There are those who, for example, appreciate the use of tools like the bags I used while others are confrontable with a series of questions with trial and error until they learn the concept. Others do not like raising their hands and unanimous responses, while some view it as the best approach.
• Attention Skills: I also learned that not all learners who have an interest in the subject or lesson content to become active in the class automatically. There are some who, even with the knowledge about the concept, will not participate in class discussions and responses. Although such students might be learning like in my case, they may not have maximum benefit in adding knowledge because they cannot ask questions or know where they are wrong. Others fail to respond or participate in the class, and they do not learn. However, when the teachers call for their attention by addressing them and using teaching aids, they learn and become alert.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my teaching and learning styles are wanting, to get student’s attention and engaged in the lessons. Students have different learning styles and needs. One specific teaching or learning approach cannot serve all learners, and hence, some will lose focus while others get their minds off the class. It is easy to get teachers to forget about the few students who are detached from the lesson or who cannot develop knowledge through teachers’ styles because the majority of the learners are participating. Such practice is unfair because some students will never learn. I have realized that my teaching and learning approaches do not accommodate all students in the class.

Next time, I will use diverse teaching and learning methods in every class and lesson. I will not just rely on asking students to raise their hands only but also point on those not raising their hands. Such a student-centered approach is known as delegation, where the teacher seeks cooperative learning to accommodate all students. My teaching approaches will be a blend of instructions, for example, using questions, narratives, and teaching aids. However, I will also personalize the instruction approaches on some students who are slow in learning compared to others. Using diverse teaching and learning approaches in one class might be overwhelming and time-consuming. However, I will prepare myself to avoid mismanagement of the lesson time.

Among the steps to prepare myself for the adjustment are the learning characteristics and needs of all students. I will interact with learners through formal and informal settings to know them at personal levels. The information will lead me to the next step, where I will select teaching and learning approaches appropriate to all students in the class. In all my teaching opportunities, I will be using the two steps to have an interactive and engaged class.

 

 

Reflective Journal Entry 2

June 19, 2020

Description

The English lesson that I was handling today was adjectives and prepositions for describing experiences. My objectives were to ensure that learners can appropriately express feelings and emotions and have the right grammatical accuracy while communicating. I developed a preposition game that would enable learners to develop ways of finding the proper adjectives and prepositions in sentences.  However, before the game, I allowed students to come up with adjectives about their experiences, especially those which I did not pin on the wall using flashcards. At this stage of the lesson, most students participated. There was a balance in adjectives suggestions between students who were silent and appeared slow learners and those who are quick learners and alert. Although some students gave incorrect words to represent their experiences, they were able to make corrections by the time I was through with collecting suggestions. Some students went ahead even to show expressions of the experiences they were mentioning while others described the words.  Every student was alert to listen to the experience of others as they made descriptions. I noticed that even those learners who appear mentally absent were engaged to smile or show other expressions as a response to their friends’ experiences.

The next step was to give students strips of paper with prepositions required to match an adjective and complete a sentence. I displayed the sentences on the board with the preposition gaps which students were supposed to fill. With a random number, every student came in front, read the sentence which he or she thought is the right for the preposition, and filled the gap using the strip. After that, the class read the sentence round before the student sits to make any corrections. I noticed that those students who came with the mind of placing the strips on the wrong sentence changed after reading the sentences. They were reading the sentences and pausing to think about their choices. At the same time, other students on their sits were stretching their necks while making low tone noises of excitement as they wait to see whether their friends will make a mistake or give the correct answer. There were only a few learners who made mistakes, and their colleagues made corrections. My work was almost absent, and I was only a coordinator while the students became judges and teachers at the same time. Students who appeared disengaged were vigilant and most suggested to help those who were making mistakes on the board.

Evaluation and Analysis

Today’s lesson was one of my challenging events because I felt that students would be slow to learn, describing experiences using specific adjectives. English being their second language would not be easy to apply adjectives in sentences. I thought that they would not enjoy the lesson and hence, felt demotivated during the introduction phase. There was no confidence like in the previous class, although I thought that the game would become my strength by attracting learners to get them engaged. I was not sure about achieving my objectives.  However, things changed immediately after mentioning that we would have a game to identify our experiences and describe them before the class. I was pleased to see that students who are usually dull in the class were the first to cheer up and willing to participate. My motivation went to a higher level, and I felt that it was possible to achieve the lesson goals. The experience of seeing maximum focus, alertness, and motivation to participate was the best since it aligned with my educational philosophy, where I propose to allow learners to have autonomy in teaching and learning.  Getting students engaged and participating in the first approach to having effective and efficient teaching because the learners learn with their pace and style.

I was also happy and motivated to see that most of the students, especially those who appear, slow learners, correctly identified the prepositions and adjectives. The concept of asking learners to describe their experiences and pick one appropriate adjective made them very happy, leading to the right responses. However, more motivation came from the fact that learners did not only name the adjective but went ahead to describe the meaning using correct grammar. They were more interested in moving to the next level of using the adjectives in sentences even before we reached that part of the game.   According to my judgment, relating real experiences with adjectives allowed students to quickly learn a formula of not only identifying correct adjectives but also using them in sentences. In the end, I was able to achieve the lesson objectives due to the following areas which I purpose to even improve in the future;

• Utilize active learning- Among my judgment for the lesson success is because of making all students active in class. Active learning where students take part as teachers to correct themselves and their friends increases focus and develop critical thinking. Learners can identify formulas as opposed to only answers to the questions. Active learning also makes students focused on following the teaching either from the teacher, themselves, or their colleagues. Students move at their own pace since they are in control of the lesson. In my experience, for example, some students took more time before placing their preposition cards on the board. They controlled the concept digestion and got the answers correct.
• Use of classroom activities- I noticed that the game also played an essential role in helping students who perform poorly in other lessons develop an approach to identifying adjectives. Classroom activities allow students to relate problems or issues with their own life and get a picture of what happens in a process, for example, identifying adjectives. Apart from making students engaged, the activities make them easily and in a less complicated way, identify the formulas like other sharp learners. It is a way of making the teaching and learning method appeal to both weak and strong learners.

Conclusion

This day taught me that I have one of the best approaches to teaching, student-centered, that makes learners engaged and develops critical thinking at their pace of learning. The student-centered approach was one of my education philosophy elements, but I had not had an opportunity to experiment with its practicability. Making learners active in class provides autonomy to choose their learning pace and style leading to increased interest and mastery of the concept. However, the addition of classroom activities, such as games, increases the diversity of learning methods and autonomy to accommodate more learners. Classroom activities not only raises engagement but also supports critical thinking by making complex concepts simple.  Active learning and use of a game enabled me to meet lesson objectives, which appeared hard since English was the second language for the students.

I need to improve more on active learning by learning students’ interests. Active learning encompasses teaching activities like games. Improvement steps include increasing my interaction with learners, which will help me to understand their likes and dislikes.  Through the interactions, I will be able to assess what switches students on and off during the lesson to guide in identifying their needs. The next step will be developing and identifying different approaches to active learning that meets the interests and trying their effectiveness. Various activities might meet student’s needs but fail to deliver the content effectively. I will, therefore, have to assess activities on the merits of meeting needs and class objectives. Next, I will identify a blend of active learning methods that fits the class to avoid wasting time with too many approaches. I might not have all the time to apply different activities to different students. The step will, therefore, involve narrowing down to strategies that meet the demands of most students and ensure accommodation of all learners.

 

Reflective Journal Entry 3

June 29, 2020

Description

Today, I was handling revision for the previous lessons on relative adjectives and relative pronouns and adjectives and prepositions. I aimed to assess learners’ level of understating and make corrections and emphasis where I find them weak. To make the revision more exciting and engaging, I prepared class activities, one of them being a game between two groups. I divided the whole class into two groups of 13 students from 1 to 13 and 14 to 26. The groups had similar flashcards in content, including an adjective, prepositions, and relative pronouns. However, the flashcards colors varied between the two groups. The students were supposed to compete on which group matches the correct flashcard on sentences that I displayed on the board. Each group would produce one student to compete at a time. However, members were to discuss the correct answer, and the selected student to post the card, and whichever group posts first become the winner.

A conflict erupted amongst members of one group about the right answer. The debate was so heated that I had to cool members down. However, the members requested me to listen as they explain the reasons for their answers. Before I even gave them the final judgment, two of the students agreed with the answer from the other student, arguing that his explanation appeared simple to understand than the teacher had explained during class. They further commented that their fellow group member helped them to get the concept clearer than how they recognized it earlier.

Evaluation and Analysis

During the debate among members of the same group, I was so happy to find that students were engaged and focused on the class. My aim for having the game was to ensure that all learners participated so that I can identify their weaknesses. However, I realized that such group discussions brought a unique element in learning by increasing ways of explaining the same point and in a more straightforward language. Students who got the concepts on prepositions, adjectives, and pronouns were able to use a different approach to teach their colleagues, leading to more understating. I learned that when students teach each other in a group discussion, they can use a simple method that is appropriate to their colleagues. The experience made me think about the improvement in the following area;

• Collaborative learning- Collaborative learning where students with different knowledge levels about a concept come together allows questioning amongst group members leading to new learning. Unlike in the whole class, where students believe in the teacher and rarely questions even when they do not understand, collaborative learning allows expression of different understanding. Students can correct each other’s thinking leading to more in-depth learning. Cooperative learning also attends to the diverse needs of students like learning pace because group members can control each other.

Conclusion

I have learned the value of group discussions that they facilitate collaborative learning with additional advantages of refining leaner’s knowledge. Although I was happy that the groups made students engaged and focused, I realized that there is more into the discussions that students were teaching those who had not understood. The groups also facilitated correction of leaners who had developed wrong concepts on identifying the right adjective, pronoun, and preposition.

My plan to improve collaborative learning includes learning more about how the approach works. Understanding collaborative learning in detail will guide me in the next step on how to form proper groups. I will later develop groups in the class that will have appropriate numbers and a combination of students to meet the objectives, for example, uplifting weak learners. The next step will be to include time for collaborative learning in my lesson plan.